| DAY 01 FLY KATHMANDU or chengdu TO LHASA
After arriving at Gonggar Airport in Tibet, Our guide will pick you up, where the altitude is 3,650 meters above sea level. Its a 1-hour drive to Lhasa where we will check in Hotel. It's advisable to rest and take it easy for the remainder of the day, due to Lhasa's high altitude.
DAY 02 IN LHASA
We will visit the Potala Palace. King Songtsan Gampo builds Potala Palace in the 7th century and he moved his capital from Yarlung valley to Lhasa. In the 17th century the great fifth Dalai Lama renovated it and expanded it into present size. Potala is divided into 2 sections namely red palace and white palace. Red palace is for religious use. There are funeral stupas of Dalai lamas and chapels including Namgal Dratsang. The white palace is for official use and it includes Dalai Lamas living quarter, meeting room, studying room and meditating rooms and so on.
After lunch we'll visit the Johkang Temple and Norbulingka Palace, Jokhang Temple, one of the oldest Temple in Tibet date back to 7th century built by Nepalese princess Birikuti. The Jokhang was constructed solely of timber and mud.The main section of Jokhang is three storeys high, with topped with golden roofs found nowhere else except in Tibet. The Image of Sakayamuni Buddha brought by Chinese princess Wencheng is enshrined in the central of of main building and also contains all sorts of murals, Thangkas, statues and scriptures. Countless Buddhist followers come on pilgrimage to pay homage to the statues of Sakymani Buddha, and circumambulate around the Temple.
Norbu Lingka Palace, The Summer Palace of the Dalai Lamas. This place is well worth a visit and the park is a great place to be at festival times and public holidays. During the 7th lunar month of every year the Norbulingka is crowded with picnickers for the Shoton festival. Traditional Tibetan opera performances are also held at this time. There are many cultural relics including 14th Dalai Lamas golden throne.
DAY 03 IN LHASA
This morning we will visit Drepung Monastery, about 8 km to the west of central Lhasa, Drepung was once the world's largest monastery, with a population of more than 10,000 monks. The word Drepung literally translates as "rice heap", a reference to the huge numbers of white monastic buildings that once piled up on the hillside. A disciple of Tsongkhapa called Jamyang Choje founded the monastery in 1416. He was able to raise funds for the project quickly and within a year of completion the monastery already hosted a population of 2000 monks. By the time of the 5th Dalai Lama in the early 17th century, the number of resident monks was somewhere between 7000 and 10,000. Today there are around 600 monks in residence.
After lunch we will visit, Sera Monastery The monastery, around 5 km north of central Lhasa, was along with Drepung one of Lhasa's two great Gelugpa monasteries. Its once huge monastic population of about 5000 monks has now been reduced to several hundred, and building repairs are still continuing. The monastery is worth a visit, particularly from around 3 pm onwards when debating is usually held in the monastery's debating courtyard.
DAY 04 DRIVE LHASA - GYANTSE
we start our overland cultural journey to Gyantse and Shigatse via old road. Travelling by jeep along the zigzag road we cross the spectacular Khamba La pass (4,794m) from which well get stunning views of the snowy summit of Nazin Kang Sa (7,252m). Yamdrok lake lies several hundred meters below the road, and in clear weather is a fabulous shade of deep turquoise. The lake is a coiling, many-armed body of water that doubles back on itself like a scorpion at its southwest extent, effectively creating a large island within its reaches. For Tibetans, it is one of the four holy lakes of Tibet, and the home of wrathful deities. Leaving the lake is as spectacular as arriving, since you have to cross the 5045 m Karo-la, with its awesome roadside views of the Nojin Kangsang Glacier. It was here that Colonel Young husbands British troops clashed with Tibetan forces en route to Lhasa in what is though to be geographically the highest battle in British history. Overnight in Hotel.
We will visit Palkor & Kumbum, founded in 1418, Pelkor by prince Rabtan Kusang was once a multi denominational complex of monasteries including Sakya, Gelupa and Boton sects. Kubum Stupa is multi door of stupa of Eight Bodhisattva Stupa of Buddhism. There are ten thousand images of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas painted on wall, made clay or made of copper and gilded gold. So people call it Kubum in version wich means Tent Thousand Images Stupa
DAY 05 DRIVE GYANTSE - SHIGATSE
we then continue on to Shigatse, a short drive of 90kms. Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet and after exploring the local market we will make a detailed visit to the Tashilhunpo Monastery. Tashilhunpo is associated with the Gelugpa order and is one of the six great Gelugpa institutions along with Drepung, Sera and Ganden in Lhasa and Kumbum and Labrang in Amdo. The monastery was founded in 1447 by a disciple of Tsongkhapa, Genden Drup. Genden Drup was retroactively named the first Dalai Lama and he is enshrined inTashilhunpo. The giant statue of Jampa (Amitabha Buddha) is one of the main relics in the monastery. It is made of copper and gilded gold and is the biggest copper statue in the world. And there is much to explore within its high surrounding walls. Overnight in hotel
DAY 06 SHEGAR (4050m)
Drive to Shegar from Shigatse via Tsola and Gatso la passes (over 5000m) it is quite long drive this day. Road is not very good since it is under construction so it takes long time to reach there even it is not long way. Overnight in hotel
DAY 07 DRIVE TO KHARTA [10 hours]
The drive continues across the Pangla pass£¨5150mts, from where we get great views of Cho Oyu [8,201 metres] and Mount Everest and the surrounding country. From the pass we descend to the village of Phadhru. Here the jeep track divides - the track to the west heads to the Rongbuk Valley - the one to the east leads to the [Phung Chu] Arun Valley and the village of Kharta
DAY 08 REST DAY IN KHARTA FOR FURTHER ACCLIMATIZATION
We stay one day in Kharta for acclimatisation and the best way to get your body used to the altitude is to go exploring, which gives you a bit of exercise and prepares your legs for the next day.
DAY 09 TREK TO LhUNDRUBLING
on the first day of our trekking tour, after about three kilometers the trail splits. The lower trail continues up the Langma La, while we follow the upper trail ascending towards the valley that leads to the Sha wu La. The views back down the valley towards the Kharta district and the snow-capped ridges to the east are magnificent. Our trail leads us to the village of Lhundrubling, where we set up camp for the night.
DAY10 CROSS SHAO wu LA [4970M.] & TREK TO KArMO TSANGPO VALLEY
After an early start we ascend the Sha wu La Pass [4,970 metres] from where we get our first views of Mount Everest [8,848 metres], Makalu [8,475 metres] and Lhotse [8,501 metres]. The steady but steep descent takes us along beautiful yak pastures before the path finally drops down towards the Karmo Tsangpo Valley. Well set up camp at Zoksam at 4,000 metres - an idyllic camp situated amid pine and fir forests just above the Karmo Tsangpo Valley. This change of vegetation reflects the monsoon influence and summer rains that surge up the nearby Arun Valley throughout the summer months.
DAY 11 TREK TO KHANGShUNG VALLEY
From the valley floor there is a steep 300 to 400 meter ascent through the conifer forest to a ridgeline high above the Kama Tsangpo Valley. From here we get magnificent views south towards the Arun Gorge and Nepal. Our trail then crosses alpine ridges that support the summer camps of yak herders' from Kharta village. We also pass a series of beautiful lakes before ascending a ridge and gaining our first uninterrupted views of the Kangshung Face of Everest. Well set up camp in one of the idyllic meadows.
DAY 12 TREK TO PETHANG RINGMO
Depending on the selection of the camp it will take just a few hours to descend to the camp at Pathang Ringmo at 4,550 metres, a beautiful meadow camp beneath the impressive peak of Jomo Lonzo [7,790 metres]. Walk to the sacred lake above the camp. The trailheads up the hillside to the north and it takes about 40 minutes to reach the lake. At the far end of the lake is a Sacred Cave, which is said to be one of the many places where Padmasambhava, the lotus-born Buddha, meditated during his journeys through Tibet. Within the cave are a number of simple shelters and prayer rooms, where pilgrims normally make offerings
DAY 13 PETHANG RINGMO TO HOrPO
From Pathang Ringmo the trail heads across the meadow before ascending. Rounding the hillside the Kangshung Face of Everest comes again into view, while across the valley the impressive glaciers at Jomo Lonzo can also be appreciated. Our camp at Horpo is situated amid yak pastures at [4800 metres].
DAY 14 TREK TO KANGSHUNG BASE CAMP & RETURN TO HOPPO
The trek to Kangshung Base Camp [5,050 metres] can be completed in a couple of hours. The trail gradually ascends the grassy ridges to the snout of the Kangshung Glacier. From our vantage point, the impressive North East Ridge of Everest is also seen. We return to Horpo and stay overnight.
DAY 15 TREK TO BASE OF LANGMA LA
The trail from Pathang Ringmo heads back down the valley before diverting north towards the Langma La. It leads gradually across the yak pastures and en route we gain views of the impressive Himalayan range, in particular the summit of Makalu. Our camp at Shurimo [4,800 metres] is located at the base of the pass.
DAY 16 CROSS LANGMA LA [5330M] & TREK TO LhUNDRUBLING
The climb to the Langma La takes about two hours. From our camp we climb a well-graded trail with further views of Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. From the pass [5,330 metres] there is a steep descend to the valley floor. As the valley opens out we pass yak herders' camps from Kharta and the nearby villages. We head down to the confluence of the Kharta Valley and gain views of the Kangchenjunga massif rearing above the ridges beyond Kharta on the Nepal- Sikkim border. Our trail then leads past the substantial village of Lundrubling, where we make camp for the night.
DAY 17 TREK TO KHARTA
Today is the final day of our Tibet trekking tour and we return to Kharta. We make camp here for the night, and prepare to drive to Rongbuk in the morning.
DAY 18 DRIVE TO RONGBUK
From Kharta we drive back to the village of Phadhruchi before continuing onto the Rongbuk valley. Rongbuk Monastery is situated 10 kilometres below Everest Base Camp and was reconstructed after the excesses of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960's. Here we camp and gain unrivalled views of the North Face of Everest.
DAY 19 Drive to ZHANGMU (2500m)
Leaving Rongbuk, we cross another two high passes, the Lalung La [5124m] and the Thong La [5200m]. Once more we are rewarded with magnificent views of the surrounding peaks of Shishapangma, Cho Oyu, Menlungtse and Gauri Shankar. Now we begin our descent from the arid Tibetan Plateau to Zhangmu on the Nepalese border. After Tibet, it appears an incredibly lush and green town. Overnight in hotel
DAY 20 DRIVE KATHMANDU (1300m)
From Zhangmu we drive a few kilometers to the Friendship Bridge (China Nepal border), trip ends. |
